Self-wringing mop



March 1962 J. PALMA, JR., ETAL 3,025,554

SELF-WRINGING MOP File'd Dec. 2, 1950 ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,@Z6,554 Patented Mar. 27, 1952 3,026,554 SELF-WRINGIN G MOP Joseph Palma, Jr., Berwyn, and James G. Knapp, Lombard, IlL, assignors, by mesne assignments, to American-Marietta Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois 7 Filed Dec. 2, 1950, Ser. No. 198,807 Claims. (Cl. 15-119) Our invention relates to mops. More particularly, our invention relates to self-wringing mops.

Various types of self-wringing mops have been previously known. These mops, however, have all suffered from certain defects. In particular, the means provided for wringing these mops was unsatisfactory because it did not completely cleanse the mop, but rather caused a portion of the dirt on the outer surfaces of the mop body to be forced into the interior of the mop body. Some of the prior self-wringing mops were adapted to wring from the front and some from the rear by utilizing a hinged presser plate connected respectively to the front or rear edge of the mop head. The front-wringing type is particularly objectionable since in normal mopping operations more dirt accumulates on the front surface of the mop body, which usually is composed of an absorbent sponge. The rear-wringing type, however, is also objectionable since dirt also accumulates on the rear surface of the sponge because of the motion generally used in mopping.

Prior self-wringing mops have also been found to be objectionable in requiring a separate presser plate with a squeezing lever and a long hinge at the rear or front of the mop. This structure requires that a means be provided for securing the squeezing lever attached to the presser plate against the handle of the mop when not in use. Also, it has been observed that mop handles are not sufficiently adjustable, and that the handles need to be pivotally mounted for facilitating mopping as well as storage of the mop.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide a means for wringing a mop body composed of an absorbent sponge which will flush the sponge from the center outwardly, and thereby prevent the dirt on any of the edges of the sponge from being forced into the interior of the mop. -It is a. further object of our invention to devise a means for wringing a sponge mop which eliminates the requirement of a separate presser plate together with the squeezing lever, longitudinal hinge, and means for fastening the squeezing lever to the handle. It is a still further object of our invention to provide a connection for the handle to the mop head which allows the handle to be moved within a limited range backward and forward but restrains sidewise motion. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

We have discovered that the above object of flushing the mop from the center outwardly can be accomplished by bending the mop sponge transversely at about the center. More particularly, we have discovered that by providing a drop hinge transversely across the center of the absorbent sponge on the upper surface that the mop can be folded upon itself and the folded portions tightly pressed together. We have also discovered that the separate presser plate previously required can be eliminated by using the mop-head plate as the presser plate and providing a drop hinge at the bottom of a downward V-notch in the mop-head plate. We have further discovered that a squeezing lever or arm may be positioned longitudinally across the hinged V-notch of the mop-head plate, and that by pivotally securing this squeezing lever to the movable half of the mop-head plate and releasably seeming it to the other half a dual purpose is accomplished. Thus secured, the squeezing lever can serve to hold the mop sponge rigidly in a horizontal position and also to apply force to the sponge when it is desired to wring it. We have still further discovered that it is advantageous to secure the mop handle pivotally in a socket having its front inclined at the desired maximum work angle and having its sides vertical to restrain the sidewise movement of the mop handle.

Our invention is illustrated, in a preferred embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective elevational view of our improved mop; FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view taken in elevation on line 22 of FIG. 1 showing the drop hinge and socket construction; FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the mop body and mop-head plate folded in wringing position; FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken in elevation on line 4-4 of FIG. 1 showing the drop-hinge construction and inclination of the front of the handle socket; and FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elev-ational view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1 showing the clip means for securing the squeezing lever across the hinge axes.

*It will be understood that in the various figures of the drawing, like reference numbers designate like parts.

In the illustration given, 11 designates a handle which is pivotally secured in socket 2 by pivot pin 6. Socket 2 has its front 3 inclined at the maximum desired work angle and has right bracket portion 4 and left bracket portion 5. Bracket portions 4 and 5 form vertical interior socket walls 4a and 5a, and also form the horizontal bottom sections 4b and 5b.

The left bottom section 5b of bracket portion 5 is secured by rivet 7 to mop-head plate 8. Mop-head plate S is composed of a left section 8a and a right section 8b, and preferably has perforations 9 to assist in cleaning the mop. Sections 8a and ilb of plate 8 are bent down- Wardly at their adjacent ends to form V-notch 17 transversely across the center of plate 3. Drop hinge 10 is formed at the bottom of V-notch 17 and thereby pivotal- 1y secures sections 8a and 8b. Hinge 10 preferably has hinge barrels integrally formed with plate sections 8a and 8!). Right section 811 of plate 8 is not secured to bottom 4b of socket 2, as is best seen in FIG. 2.

Absorbent sponge 11, preferably a cellulose sponge, is secured beneath mop-head plate 8, with a V-notch formed in the upper surface of the sponge to receive V-notch 17 of the mop-head plate. This can be accomplished by using a heat-resistant glue such as cellulose acetate. If it is desired, sponge 11 can be removably fastened to plate 8. This can be done by gluing canvas backing on the absorbent sponge and having screws projecting upwardly from the canvas. These screws can then be made to engage holes in the mop-head plate and secured therein with wing nuts on the upper surface of the plate. Such construction is well known, and is illustrated in US. Patent No. 2,515,403 issued to N. B. Greenleaf et al.

Squeezing lever 12 is pivotally secured across V-notch 17 by attaching it to stud 14 by pivot pin 13. Stud 14 is rigidly secured to the movable section 8b of backing plate 8. Squeezing lever 12 is releasably secured to the rigid section 8b of plate 8 by clip 15. This clip has notched sides 15a and 15b which frictionally engage recess 12a in the end of squeezing lever 12.

The squeezing lever 12 has end flanges 12b which are pivotally mounted so as to swing downwardly into a plane in alignment with and against the plate 8b. This gives an excellent leverage for squeezing the mop bodies.

While the drop hinge 10 is in the shape of a V it will be understood that the plate may be cut away at this point and the drop hinge formed upon flanges depending from the plates.

In the use of the mop, the pivotal mounting of handle 1 in socket 2 allows mop handle 1 to be raised or lowered as sponge 11 is moved forwardly and backwardly on the floor surface. When it is desired to push the mop forwardly for a considerable distance on the surface to be mopped, inclined front 3 of socket 2 restrains the backward pivoting of handle 1, and thereby holds handle 1 at the desired work angle. Also, in storing the mop handle 1 may be brought to a vertical position within socket 2 and thereby requiring less room for storage. The vertical interior walls of socket 2, however, restrain all sidewise motion of handle 1, thereby restraining all motion of the handle with respect to plate 8:: having any component in a plane perpendicular to hinge 10.

During the mopping operation squeezing lever 12 is fastened across V-notch 17 and thereby assists in holding the sections 8a and 8b of plate 8 in horizontal alignment. When it is desired to wring the mop, squeezing lever 12 is disengaged from friction clip 15 and right section 3b of plate 8 is allowed to fall downwardly on drop hinge 10. Squeezing lever 12 is rotated to a position at about an 180 angle to bear against plate 8b and the plate 8)] may be then compressed. One hand can then be used to grasp handle 1 while the other hand is used to grasp the projecting end of squeezing lever 12. Pressure can thus be applied to sponge 11 and the mop flushed from the center outwardly. V-notch 17 assists this flushing action by permitting the adjacent bottom surfaces of sponge 11 to be brought into parallel alignment without any bunching of sponge 11 beneath hinge 10.

While in the foregoing specification we have shown our improved self-wringing mop in great detail and in specific arrangement for illustration, it will be understood that such arrangement and details of the structure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. In a mop including a handle and a head attached thereto, a socket attached to said head for receiving said handle, said head including an elongated plate having a downward V-notch transversely across the center thereof and hinged at the bottom of said V-notch, thereby providing a smaller plate on each side of said V-notch, one of said smaller plates being rigidly attached to said socket and the other of said smaller plates being movable with respect to said socket about the hinge at the bottom of said V-notch, a sponge secured beneath said enlarged plate, and a longitudinally extending arm crossing above said V-notch, said arm being pivotally connected to the other of said smaller plates and releasably fastened to said one smaller plate which is rigidly attached to said socket, whereby said, elongated plate can be maintained in a horizontal position for mopping and folded under pressure from said arm to wring out said mop.

2. In a mop including a handle and a head attached thereto, a socket attached to said head for receiving said handle, two elongated plates having their inner transverse edges bent downwardly and hingedly connected to each other thereby forming an enlarged horizontal plate having a V-notch therein, one of said elongated plates being rigidly connected to said socket, and a sponge secured beneath said enlarged plate, and a longitudinally extending arm crossing above said V-notch, said arm being pivotally connected to the other of said elongated plates and releasably fastened to said one elongated plate which is rigidly attached to said socket, whereby said enlarged plate can be maintained in a horizontal position for mopping and folded under pressure from said arm to wring out said mop.

3. In a mop including a handle and a head attached thereto, a socket attached to said head for receiving said handle, two elongated perforated plates having their inner transverse edges bent downwardly and hingedly connected to each other thereby forming an enlarged horizontal perforated plate having a V-notch therein, one of said elongated perforated plates being rigidly connected to said socket, and a sponge secured beneath said enlarged perforated plate, a longitudinally extending arm crossing above said V-notch, said arm being pivotally connected to the other of said elongated perforated plates and releasably fastened to said one elongated perforated plate which is rigidly attached to said socket, a notched clip secured to said one elongated plate and engageable in a recess in said arm, and said arm being pivotally connected to a stud on said other elongated plate, whereby said enlarged plate can be maintained in a horizontal position for mopping and folded under pressure from said arm to wring out said mop.

4. In a sponge mop structure, a mop head comprising an elongated plate divided transversely at about the longitudinal center thereof to provide a pair of smaller plates, said smaller plates being hingedly connected together along the line of division to enable these plates to be folded together, said elongated plate being adapted to carry a sponge on the underside thereof, means for securing a mop handle to one of said smaller plates comprising a socket secured to that one smaller plate and having a laterally-extending portion projecting over the upper side of the other of the smaller plates and substantially abutting the same when the smaller plates are in horizontal planar relation, a lever arm pivotally connected to the other smaller plate intermediate the ends thereof and extending longitudinally along the upper side of said elongated plate and across the line of division, and means carried by the aforesaid one smaller plate for releasably securing said lever arm thereto.

5. The mop structure of claim 4, in which the said smaller plates along the line of division are turned downwardly and outwardly to provide together a V-notch extending transversely across said elongated plate and are hingedly secured together along the apex of said V-notch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,112,190 Beazley Sept. 29, 1914 1,247,959 Holtzhouser Nov. 27, 1917 1,256,989 Duncan Feb. 19, 1918 2,044,075 Jelenfy June 16, 1936 2,204,806 Lorenz et a1. June 18, 1940 2,222,368 Lux NOV. 19, 1940 2,486,102 Berndsen Oct. 25, 1949 2,515,403 Greenleaf et al July 18, 1950 2,641,787 Vosbikian et al. June 16, 1953 2,677,837 Channel May 11, 1954 2,750,613 Trindl June 19, 1956 2,794,997 Channel June 11, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 76,184 Norway Jan. 30, 1950 216,565 Germany Nov. 24, 1909 466,474 Canada July 11, 1950 617,197 Germany Aug. 14, 1935 807,925 France Oct. 26, 1936 

